The 14th addition to the Rutland Sculpture Trail will honor the community’s giving spirit, volunteerism, and inspiration – and the national record for donating blood.
Organizers have commissioned a piece honoring Rutland’s Gift-of-Life Marathon (GOLM), which still holds the one-day U.S. record for blood donations 12 years after setting the record and continues to inspire hundreds of donors each summer and fall.
Three local residents whose volunteerism, donations, and inspiration helped make the drive an ongoing success will be featured in the sculpture, designed by Evan Morse and now being carved by Morse and his wife, Taylor Apostol, at the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center in West Rutland. It is expected to be completed and installed before the Gift of Life Marathon in the fall.
The sculpture, a large, round column set on a square base, will feature longtime Red Cross and GOLM volunteer Mary Ojala, who continued to help out with the drive till her 100th birthday; Bobby Poquette, a volunteer extraordinaire and regular blood donor; and Stefanie Schaffer, a Rutland native and blood recipient who has inspired hundreds of people to donate blood as a GOLM ambassador. It will be dedicated to the memory of Tom Huebner, an early and strong supporter of the GOLM.
“This sculpture will represent the most recent history featured on the trail, as well as one of Rutland’s most impressive community accomplishments,” organizers said in a statement. “Organizers of the Gift of Life were told many, many times that Rutland was simply too small to set and hold the national record. Well, the folks saying that didn’t know the size of the greater-Rutland community’s collective heart.”
Rutland shattered the old record of 1,968 pints on Dec. 12, 2013, collecting 2,350 pints at five sites spread across the region. The record still stands.
Sculpture Trail leaders from the CSSC and MKF Properties, along with GOLM organizers Terry Jaye and Steve Costello, collaborated to decide who the sculpture would feature. Morse created a moving tableau that will wrap around a column of Danby White marble donated by Vermont Quarries.
“The GOLM has always been about the community, and Mary Ojala, Bobby Poquette, and Stefanie Schaffer represent the breadth and depth of the community’s involvement beautifully,” Jaye said.
“Mary was a legendary volunteer. Bobby remains an incredible volunteer and overcame a huge fear of needles to become a regular donor as well,” Costello said. “Stef required untold pints of blood to save her life, and in her recovery, found within herself a strength most of us can only dream about, and used that strength to tell her story eloquently and gracefully, inspiring our community to carry on the GOLM tradition and helping save countless lives in the process.”
“The success of the Gift-of-Life Marathon speaks to the strength of community in Rutland,” Morse said. “It’s great to tell the story of everyday heroes who, acting together, make a big difference.”
The sculpture, which will be donated to the city of Rutland upon completion, is funded by Green Mountain Power, John and Sue Casella, MKF Properties, Rutland Regional Medical Center, Betsy and Jim Reddy, Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region, Killington Resort, and the Ojala family. Each of the donors has a strong connection to the GOLM, including GMP as one of its primary sponsors and organizers, RRMC as the leading health care organization in the region, the Reddys as regular GOLM volunteers, Killington Resort, which has donated countless ski passes and recruited donors including President Mike Solimano, and CEDDR, Casella, MKF and the Ojala family, all strong supporters.
The Rutland Sculpture Trail is a collaboration of the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center, Vermont Quarries, Green Mountain Power, and MKF Properties. The Rutland Sculpture Trail was started in 2017 to raise awareness of and pride in local and regional history, beautify downtown, and draw local residents and tourists to Rutland’s historic downtown. It is funded by donations, with each piece of art donated as a gift to the City of Rutland.
The Gift of Life Summer Mini Marathon, an offshoot of the fall blood drive, is set for Dec. 8 in Rutland. Appointments can be made by calling 800-RED-CROSS.
